Ethiopian Airlines disclosed its order to purchase six 787-8 Dreamliner at the Paris Air Show from Boeing on June 17, 2015. The order was formerly credited to anonymous customer on Boeing’s Orders and Deliveries website.

The Dreamliners complement Ethiopian’s existing 13 787s currently operating in the fleet and are part of its long term strategy to boost capacity and extend greater route flexibility to and from its hub in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

"In line with our Vision 2025 strategic road map and our fleet modernization and expansion project, we will keep investing heavily in technologically advanced and modern airplanes," said Tewolde GebreMariam, CEO of Ethiopian Airlines.

"This new addition to our fleet will not only benefit Ethiopian because of its unmatched operating costs, but will also help us to enhance overall travel experience of our customers. The Boeing 787 has earned approval of customers and we always work hard to cater to our customers' preference."

"The 787 is a perfect fit for Ethiopian's medium to long haul routes," said Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Ray Conner.

Ethiopian Airlines is the first African operator of the 787. At this time, Ethiopian operates all-Boeing fleet of 737, 757, 767, 777, and 787 airplanes in passenger service, and has 757, MD11, 777 and a 737-400F airplane in cargo operations.

Source: Boeing